As We may Think
I just finished reading the article "As We my Think" by Vannevar Bush. Its entry on wikipedia claimed that the "memex" system, proposed by Dr. Bush, is "in many ways like today's World Wide Web".
The claim is a bit stretched in my opinion. The entry of "memex" on Wiki considers the memex "a microfilm-based precursor to the personal computer". I think this is a fair assessment.
This article was written in 1945. It is not very easy to read because of many techical terms in Physics. My favorite part must be his comments on how human's brain works.
"It(The human mind) operates by association. With one item in its grasp, it snaps instantly to the next that is suggested by the association of thoughts, in accordance with some intricate web of trails carried by the cells of the brain. It has other characteristics, of course; trails that are not frequently followed are prone to fade, items are not fully permanent, memory is transitory. Yet the speed of action, the intricacy of trails, the detail of mental pictures, is awe-inspiring beyond all else in nature."
The claim is a bit stretched in my opinion. The entry of "memex" on Wiki considers the memex "a microfilm-based precursor to the personal computer". I think this is a fair assessment.
This article was written in 1945. It is not very easy to read because of many techical terms in Physics. My favorite part must be his comments on how human's brain works.
"It(The human mind) operates by association. With one item in its grasp, it snaps instantly to the next that is suggested by the association of thoughts, in accordance with some intricate web of trails carried by the cells of the brain. It has other characteristics, of course; trails that are not frequently followed are prone to fade, items are not fully permanent, memory is transitory. Yet the speed of action, the intricacy of trails, the detail of mental pictures, is awe-inspiring beyond all else in nature."
posted by xinlinyc at 11:20 PM
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